Cigar-bunching machine



Septv. 30, 1930. T. A. HoRToN 1,776,856

C IGAR BUNCHING HACHINE Filed May 17, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l @mochten @513% Gitane/1g 12M sept. so, i930. 1A. HORTQN 1,776,356

CIGAR BUcHING uAcHINz Filed may 17. 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 31a/ucm hoz I Z'oMAsf/?rom @gta3-gbl@ Catton/1,013

Patented Sept. 19320 -uNrri-:D 4STATES THOMAS Va, non'roN, or KINGSTON, NEW Yom:

leiijipli-caitionifiled. May 17,

My invention relates to cigar-making machinery, and more` particularly to Van improved measuring attachment which willde- 1 liver the scrap'hller 'for the bunching ma- 5 chines in vpredetermined quantities for the forming of the'bunch. Alfleretofore in such cigar-,making machineryi't has been customary to utilize mechanically controlled weighingvdevices'which thereafter feed a'certainA weight :of tobacco to the bunching machine. Such mechanisms are undesirable in that the `condition of the scrap tobacco, either wet or `dry, ordinarily gives the heavier or lighter load', and hencethe volume of the scrap so l5 weighed necessarily VVvaries. with consequent rvarlations'in the size 0f the bunches and of the ultimate cigars. i Y l The objects of my invention are, among other things, to provide an improved measun ing attachment for the scrap'tobacco in conjunction with the conveyor which will carry the tobacco to form the bunch from the source of tobacco supply and which will pick up and deliver a uniform mixture of large and small ieces from such fscrapsupply and therea :ter feedjsuch measured loads of a uniform size and'volume to the scrapbunching machine. ,Such improved attachment is f particularly de'signed for use 'with the so- 0 called lo'rgefeldt' `Scrap-bunchi'ng xmachinos to produce with increased capacity since the scrap bunches fed to the machine come through with gggreatv uniformity and with more economical use of suchscra-p than other weighing mechanisms now in useiinl cigar factories. l A further feature of my invention is to producea positive feed of thisimproved meas- 40 the scrap, and to deliver 'a predetermined vo.- ume of scrap with a better and more uniformly distributed'load andl with a minimum of waste wherebylthe bunching machine'- may produce cigars of uniform size and quality at greater lspeed than hitherto attainable'.

My improved measuring attachment" also embodies other novel features and advantages in connection'with scrap-bunching machines .loading throughout the several figures.

uring attachment, irrespective of the size of n drive shaft lil having lreyed'theretothe camA nearby *he erwies rafts-,delivering @qual 1928. Serial No., 278,383.

quantities of sera i to form the bunch are simplified and mac e `more effective, and are otherwise b er adapted for use,v all of which will be hereinafter described andV thenl particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 5

In the drawings, l is a vertical side ele 1 vation of a preferred embodiment of my attachment showing the conveyor with the sevf eral cups in operation, such attachment being operatively connected to the scrap-bunchmmachine; Y y i i ig. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section,

showing the driving pulleys for the conveyor arranged over the hopper;

Fig. 3 is a sectional end view on vthe line 3 3 of Fig. l showing the hopper and cup vibratinOf mechanism;

2fig. 4 isa fragmentary vertical section showing the driving shaft for the conveyor and sprockets Figt is an enlarged detail section showing the cups invarious positions with surplus scrap being removed, another ,cup being dumped, while another cup is held in fan inverted position by the guide track for re o i Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of surplus scrap sweeper and cup;

Fig.7 isan enlarged perspective of oneof theV weighted cups; and

Eig.V Sis an enlarged detail of the tripping lever for vibrating and settling the scrap in the loaded cup. Y l

Similar numerals refer to similar parts Referring to Figs.Y l, 2 and 3, the sideframes 9 and 10 `support the well-known devices in the lorgefeldt scrap-bunching 1 machine shown inside elevationin Fig; l.

Journalled in the. side-frames 9 and AlOAis the i,

l2: having two cam tracks formed therein which determine the coordinated relationship between the reciprocating funnel 14E slidably mounted onthe bracket 13 and the movable plunger l5 telescoped within the funnelmlll,

"the lower opening lof such funnel beingV dis.- Y

posed abovethe bunch rolling table 17" fastened .to the side frames Qand 1Q' (Fig 1').

"G11 the ,inner Sid-e et the @nel lit-.is ill? lemmi plunger 15 is connected by the link 22 to the Vwhich lare' then passed throughtlie tunnel jGO outer end of the lever 23 bolted to the reckarm 24 mounted on the pivotbar 25 attached to the side-frames 9 and l0. linncditojthe lever is the Cain-roller 2o which is held in engagement with the cani 12 by the spring 27.'

v'wllien the plunger 15 is Vlifted to its-normal position for" the next cycle.` c

` Of itself the above-described mechanism is not new, but is' well knownin the Borgefeldt scrap-bunching machines. According tothe present invention this mechanism is combined and co-related with my new'and highly eective measuring and feeding attachment which will intermittently deliver predetermined quantities of scrap tobacco -to thefunnel pocket 18, and such attachment will now be described in detail.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the open top hopper 29 having the inclined sides 30 and inclined bottom or wall 31 issuitably secured to the side-frames 9 andlO'in the position shown in Fig. l and contains scrap tobacco- 32 as. the source of supply. The power shaft 33 is journalled in standards 34 (only yone being shown in Figs. 1 and suitably fastenedito the side frames 9 and 10. Keyed to the shaft 33 is the sprocket 35 driven by the chain 3G which passesaround the sprocket 37 fastened to the `drive shaft 11 (Fig. 1). Mounted onthe shaft are a pair of'spacect apart sprockets 38 around which pass the endless, looped conveyor chains 39 (Figs. 2 and spaced-apart as shown in Figs. 2,3 and 4; 39a arranged above thehopper wall 41 a ndaround a pair of sprockets 40 mounted on the Ashort shaft 41 journalled in the side flanges 42 and 430i the. bottom 31 (F ig.` 3). The conveyor chains 39 then pass upwardly through the hopper 29,r and around the pair of sprockets 44' mounted on the shaftj45 journalled in the upright-standards46 bolted y.to the hopper 29 as shown in Figs. 2 .and `The conveyor p chafi'iis'39 then make their" horizontal run to Vthe right in F igs.y 1 and 5 to the sprockets 38 to complete their cycle in delivering fthe measured loads ofscrap to the funnel pocket 18.

A plurality of measuring cups 47 (live being shown in Fig. 1) are pivotally attachedto the conveyor chains 39 in spaced relationship, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Each cup 47. is elongated and trough-shaped (Fig. 7), with ends 43 and curved sides 49 and undulated top edges providing spaced-apartr openings 50. Projecting from the ends 48 are the supporting studs 51 which are pivotally mounted iii the links of ,the chains 39 as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 8. Depending from the bottom of the cup 47 is the weighted lug 52 which normally maintains the cup 47 supported on the studs 51 in uprightv or loaded position through gravity (Figs. 1 and 5).

Means are provided to invert each cup 47 toward the left (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) as the chains 39v pass in their inclined path between the sprockets 38 to the sprockets 40 through the-` tunnel 39a, which means may be widely varied in structure yand operation. In the present embodiment the guide track 53 is bolted at the top and'bottom of theinclined lwall 31 of the hopper 29 in spaced relation with tli'e chains 39 so that the cup lug 52 will bear 'on thetrack 53 and so hold the cup 47 yinv semi-inverted or til'ied position as shown in the lower part of Fig. 5. When the Ycup 47 reaches thebottom of the hopper 29 and isrelieved from the guide track 53 it rotates ina clockwise direction on the studs 51 and inso Vchanging its kposition to the vertical scoops up its full quantity of scrap tobacco 32 contained in the bottom of the hopper 29.

As the cup 47 now loaded with scrap passes in its vertical iiight from the bottom of the hopper 29 means are provided to vibrate or shake the cup to settle the scrap load as well as remove surplus tobacco, which means in the present embodiment are best shown in Figs.

1, 3 and 3. Fastcned'to the inner sides of 'the hopper 29 are the two stationary shaker arms 59 the tips 60 of which are adapted to engage successively the links of the conveyor chains 39 as the latter move upwardly. The cup 47 isthusshaken in both directions or vvibrated as each link snaps over the arm tips 60 to the upper side of the arms 59 as shown by the arrow in Fig.v8, afterwhich the chains 39 pass between the obliquely-disposed rollers 61 and 62 pinnedvto the brackets 63 secured t0 the rhopper 29 as shown in Figs. 1 and. 3. By this device the vCups 47 are caused to rock slightly on their horizontally-disposed axes, and so settle the scrap contents in the cups 47 as they continue their upward Hight as shown in Fig. 1. y

/Vhen the cups 47 pass around the sprockets v44 `and begin their horizontal run, they pass beneath a pair of revolving sweeping devices f which are adjustable and are used to cut the contents of each cup to anyv desired level,

,inleachcup. 1 have sli-own, a pair of such advantage. `Such iinal measuring devices to cut and trim the cup loads are best shown in Figs. 1-3, 5 and 6,'and comprise the following 'such shafts havingpulleys* 75and 76 respectively over which passes A the belt 77 whereby the sweepers and 71 may be rotated in a clockwise direction in unison (F ig. 5). The outer shaft 7 3 carries the pulley 78 around which 'passes the driving belt 79 which is actuated by the belt 79 passing around the large pulley 8O (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), mounted on the power shaft 33. `By these sweepers 70 and 71 revolving in a direction counter to the travel of the cups 47 (left to right in Figs. 1 and 5), any surplus scrap in the cup load is removed by the spikes 72 passing through the openings 50 (Fig. 6) and kicking off the top surplus which falls back into the hopper 29 (Fig. 1).

At the end of the horizontal run of the cups 47 toward the right, means are provided to dump or deliver the predetermined contents of the scrap tobacco in each cup into the open pocket 18 of thefunn-el 14 as hereinbefore described. In the present embodiment best shown in Figs.v 1, 2, 4, and 5, the

` dumping bar 82 is fastened to the top of the plate 83 forming the inclined top of the tunnel 39n midway between the conveyor chains 39 (Figs. 2 and 4), Awith its hooked upper end 84 bearing on the top of the power shaft 33. As each cup 47 ends its horizontal run over theshaft 33 (Fig. 5), the lug 52 engages the hooked end'84 (Figs.v 1 and 5) to invert the cup 47 forwardly to empty its contents into the feeder chute 85 securedto the rock-arm 8Gjpivoted to the top of the hopper wall 31 whereby the chute 85 delivers the cup load into the open pocket 18 (Fig. l) when the projecting pin 87 mounted on one ofthe sprockets 38 engages the Vinverted V-shaped lever 88 fastened to the side of the chute 85. Y Y

By this mechanism the sprocket 38 in its `rotation presses the lever 88 from` its full line position to that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 by which the cup contents are delivered into the funnel 14 of the scrap-bunchingmachine. The chute 85 then snaps back to its original position after the cup 47 has vpassed below same and swings into vertical position, and

the pin 87 rides oil the'end of the lever 88` through the tension of the coil-spring 89 fastened to the rock-arm 86 and the standard 34 (Figs. 1 and 5). The cup 47 then is inverted toward its original scrap-seooping position as it passes down the tunnel 39a with its lug 52 riding along the guide track 53, all as shown in detail in Fig. 5, and the cycle of operationsr is repeated through each of the cups 47 carried by the chains 39.

The construction of my improved attachment and its operation in automatically measuring and delivering scrap tobacco to the bunching machine having been described, it will not be necessary to set forth the general operation of the machine. According to my invention scrap tobacco of any size and condition may be advantageously measured in and delivered by the travelling cups 47. In the present instance .l have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my improved attachment which has given satisfactory results in industrial use; however many changes may be made in the form'and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention or in any way sacrificing its chief advantages which have been hereinbefore enumerated.

I claim'as my invention:

1. Ina cigar bunching machine, an endless conveyor travelling through a tobacco supply, a series of spaced-apart cups pivoted to said conveyor, said cups having weighted lugs projecting downwardly from their bottoms for normally maintaining the latter in upright position, means independent ofthe conveyor engaging said lugs to invert said oups to load same from the tobacco supply, and other-means independent of the conveyor to invert said cupsY to deliver eachcup load to the machine, botlrsaid means being operable by the movement of theconveyor.

2. In a cigar bunching machine, an endless conveyor Vtravelling through a tobacco supply, a series of spaced-apart cups pivoted to said conveyor, said cups having weighted lugs projecting downwardly from their bot- Ltoms fornorinally maintaining the latter in upright position, means independent of the conveyor engaging said lugstto invert said cups to load same from the tobacco supply, and other means independent of the conveyor to invert said cups in the opposite direction tov deliver each cup load tothe machine. both said meansbeing operable by the i movement of the conveyor.

3. In a cigar bunching machine, an endless ,linked chain conveyortravelling through a tobacco supply and having a tobacco con- Y tainer pivoted thereto, and means contacting with the links of the chain for vibrating the loaded container in motion on said conveyor. y 4. In a Vcigar bunehing machine, anendless linked chain conveyor travelling through a tobacco suiloply'and having a tobacco container attached thereto, and a stationary arm engaging the successive links of said conveyor for vibrating the loaded container While in motion on said conveyor.

5. ln a cigar bunching machine, an endless linked chain conveyor travelling through a tobacco supply and having a series of cups pivoted thereto, and means successively engaging the links of the chain and operable by the continued movement of the conveyor to vibrate each cup when loaded with tobacco from said supply to remove surplus tobacco therefrom.

6. In a cigar bunching machine, an endless conveyor chain travelling through a tobacco supply and having` a series of cups having undnlated top edges pivoted thereto, and rotary sweeping devices coacting with the cup load through said undulated edges of thc cups and revolving in a direction counter to the travel of said cups.

7. In a cigar bunching machine, an endless conveyor chain travelling through a'tobacco supply and having a tobacco container attached thereto, a feed chute movable into the path of the container to receive the contents from the loaded container and deliver same to saidmachine, means to dump the loaded container into said chute, and means to actuate said chute in timed relation With the dumping of the container contents into said chute. r

8. In a cigar bunching machine, an endless conveyor chain travelling through a tobacco supply and having a tobacco container attached thereto, a feed chute movable into the path of the container to receive the contents from the loaded container and deliver same to said machine, means to dump the loaded container into said chute, means to actuate said chute in timed relation with the dumping of the container contents into said chute, and means to restore said chute into receiving position after delivering the container contents to said machine.

9. In a cigar bunching machine, an endless conveyor chain travelling through a'tobacco supply and having a series of cups pivoted thereto, means to successively Yinvert said cups While passing through the tobacco supply to load same, means for thereafter vibrating each cup While in motion after leaving y said supply, means coacting with the top edges of each cup to remove surplus tobacco therefrom, a feed chute movable into the path of the container to receive the contents from each loaded cup, means to invert each cup to deliver its contents to said chute, and means for thereafter actuating said chute to deliver the cup contents to said machine.

10. A measuring attachment for a cigar bunching machine comprising a scrap tobacco container .having undulatedy top edges and mounted on a travelling conveyor chain, and adjustable means coacting-With the openings between the container edges to remove a surplus quantity of the` container load before delivering same to said machine.

l1.. A measuring attachment for a cigar bunching machine comprising a scrap tobacco-containing cup having undulatcd top edges, and a rotary sweeping device coacting With the cup load through the undulatcd edges to remove surplus from the top of said load.

l2. ln a. Cigar bunching machine, an endless linked chain conveyor travelling through a tobacco supply and having a tobacco container pivoted thereto, means contactingwith the links of the chain for vibrating the loaded container in, motion on said conveyor, and other means thereafter engaging said chain for rocking said container to a lesser degree than said vibrating means.

THOMASy A. HORTON. 

